Local group advances to talent show finals

Half and Half, a vocal ensemble from Allentown High School, has received enough online votes to advance to the finals in “MSG Varsity’s Talent Show,” a weekly TV series featuring high school acts in the tri-state area.

Half and Half, who sang Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up” in the semifinals, is one of two acts in the Vocal Ensemble category who will compete in this weekend’s finals.

Hosted by former “American Idol” semifinalist Jared Cotter, “MSG Varsity’s Talent Show” features four performances in the individual vocalist category and two performances in each of the ensemble categories — vocal and dance. In this MSG Varsity original programming, the audience casts their votes online for their favorite talent in each category, with the top performers advancing to the next round.

Winners in each category will be crowned 8 p.m. June 3 on MSG Varsity. In addition to being crowned Talent Show Champion, each winner will receive prizes, which include, for the ensemble winners, a Broadway musical experience. They’ll take part in a workshop that re-creates an actual Broadway rehearsal where students learn staging, choreography and music directly from a show they’ll see that afternoon.

“MSG Varsity’s Talent Show” airs Sunday nights at 8 p.m. on MSG Varsity, Optimum channel 14. In addition, it will be available on demand on Optimum channel 614 and online at www.msgvarsity.com.

For more details, visit www.msgvarsitytalentshow.com.